William And Mary Briefs: Letdown Isn't Likely, Players Say

William and Mary Briefs

When a team invests the emotional energy William and Mary's players did in the loss to rival Delaware, a letdown the following week would be understandable. Not likely, say a couple of the players.

``I don't think it'll be hard at all to get up for this week,'' wide receiver Corey Ludwig said.

The Tribe travels to New Orleans to face Division I-A Tulane.

``I remember when I first came here, people talked about some of the players that were here in the past, like Michael Clemons, '' Ludwig said. ``But what they always talk about are the teams: like the '67 team that beat Navy and the team that played Penn State and the team that beat Virginia in '86.

``I figured I had four or five years to beat a Division I-A team, and this is one of my last chances. It's not going to be any trouble getting motivated, at least for me.''

Despite the 42-35 loss to Delaware, the Tribe's three-touchdown comeback in the final three minutes gave the players heart.

``I think after Saturday, we'll be very emotional and very up,'' strong safety Andy Ruckman said. ``That fourth-quarter comeback did a lot for us. I like our chances.''

MUST-WIN. Tulane comes into Saturday's game 0-2 after losses at Alabama and Rice.

The Green Wave players were upbeat after a 31-17 loss to Alabama, in which they were a 35-point underdog and held the second-ranked Crimson Tide to three points in the second half.

But any good feelings were erased by Saturday's 34-0 loss at Rice.

``You've got to say every game is must-win, but when you start 0-2, it's more so,'' Tulane nose guard Reggie Davis told The Associated Press. ``We don't care who we play; we've got to win a game. We've got to put it to them this weekend. We need a win for confidence and for a sense of accomplishment. If this keeps going on, it can get discouraging.''

MONEY. William and Mary will receive $150,000 from Tulane for playing Saturday's game, Athletic Director John Randolph said.

The Tribe, and other Division I-AA schools, usually receive payouts for traveling to play I-A programs.

``The money's not the important thing,'' Randolph said. ``We wanted to set up a good trip for the 300th anniversary.''

W&M is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the football program, along with the 300th anniversary of the school.

NO BIG DEAL. Ludwig has caught a pass in 24 consecutive games, a fact he was unaware of until Tuesday.

``There had to be guys who did it before,'' Ludwig said, pointing out former star receivers Harry Mehre and Mark Compher. ``I don't see it as any major accomplishment. It's nice to look at.''

Ludwig had perhaps his best day against Delaware, catching eight passes for 157 yards.

TICKETS. As of the end of August, 2,212 season tickets for the 1993 season had been sold - up from the total of 2,043 last year.

Ticket sales aren't up to the 2,267 sold for the '91 season, the senior year of quarterback Chris Hakel and running back Robert Green, when the Tribe was coming off its NCAA playoff quarterfinal appearance and 10-victory season.

Most of the sideline tickets are sold for the Homecoming game Oct. 23 against Villanova, and end zone seats are available. Plenty of tickets remain for the Harvard game Sept. 25, the 100th anniversary celebration and family weekend game.